Spool structure and method of making the same



Jan. 5, 1932. G. T. JONES 1,839,223

SPOOL STRUCTURE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed March 15, 1929 Patented Jan. 5, 1932 one! STATES GEORGE T. JONES 0F PAWTUGKET, ISLAND sPooL'sriwc'rnnnennmn'i'non MAKiNG THE SAME Application .fil ed March 13, i929.- SeriaI No. 346,595.

This invention relates to an improved spool structure and method of making the same which is adapted for use as a carrier for threads, wire or other elongated materials, 5' and is so constructed as to be capableof use as a carrier for heavy materialssuch as wire or metal strands or cables without danger' of becoming broken with consequent damage shipped to the user'in their completed form' thus forming very bulky packages and re-' quiring a great and for storage.

which is capable of withstanding the various strains to which. devices ofthis character are subjected without becoming broken either in handling or in shipping with consequent damage to the material carried thereby.

Anotherobject of the invention is the provision of improved means for making and assemblmg the spoolparts in such a manner as to permit the parts to be shipped in knockdown condition wherein they occupy a' limi-' ted amount of space, and to be assembled in a cheap and expeditious manner at where they are to be used.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a spool of thischaracter which maybe constructed in sectionsand shipped to the user in that condition, thedevice being soformed as to becapable ofbeingread ily assembledby the user whenand as re quired, as well as certain novel method steps employed in assembling the separateparts to form a firm and rigid structurej Other, objects of the invention relate to various improved details of construction and novel arrangements of .the parts' as well as certain improved methods of constructing amount of space in shipping One object of the presentiin ven tion is to provide a firm and rigid spoolstructu're th plac the several parts and means of assemblingthe same as will be more'fully set forth in the detailed description to follow.

"Referring to the drawings: 7

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, partially I in section, showlng'one form of my lnvention 5 with the parts in their assembled positions, f

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the spool structure, showing the parts in assembled position but prior to the final step of forcing the teeth of the flange member into 603' the body'portion of the spool. V Fig. 3 is a detail'sectional view of one end of the spool structure prior to the step of forcing the teethof the; flange member into thebody portion of the spool, taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is'a' detail sectional view of a modi- I 7 fied form of spool structure," taken through one end of the spool, and showing the manner of connecting one of the flange members to a somewhat modifiedform of spool body, and, Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view,-similar to' Fig. 4, andshowing a further modified form of the invention.

y In the embodiment of the invention inns-7 trated in Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, 1 desig V nates a spool body. of cylindrical form providedwith a central bore 2, which may be formed from wood or other suitable material I possessing the requisite strength'and permeability to support material of such weight as'may'be necessary and permit the teeth of the flange members to penetrate the same sufliciently to hold the flange members firmly secured thereto.

Mounted uponopposite ends of the body q portion 1 are relatively. thin metal flange members 3, each of which is preferably of cir- V cular form and provided with a central open-' ing '4 shaped generally to conform with the exterior surface of the spool body, whereby one end of the spool body may be inserted within the opening 4 in one ofthe flange members prior to the securing of the flange if members to the spool ends. Each flange member 3 is provided with a plurality of teeth 5 which project inwardly from that portion ofthe flange member immediately adjacent to and surrounding the opening 4.

In forming the metal flange members 3 they are each provided with a circular depression or dished portion 6 which may be located adjacent to the opening 1 for a purpose which will be more fully set forth hereinafter. A bead 7 may be formed upon the exterior edge of each flange member 3, if desired, in order to prevent injury to the users or to the material in handling, shipping or storing the filled spools, as well as to impart added strength and stiffness to the flange members. v

The flange members 3 may be formed in the shape shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, and shipped to the user, together with the necessary number of spool bodies 1, in their unassembled condition whereby the parts necessary for forming a great number of spools may be shipped and stored in a very compact form, thus avoiding the bulky packages required in the shipment and storage of the ordinary spools intheir assembled form.

V The user may assemble the spool structures.

as his'needs require, by first positioning one of the flange members 3-upon one end of the spool body 1, as shown in Fig. 3, and then placing the parts in a suitable press and pressing out the circular depression 6, thereby forcing the teeth 5 into the outer surface of the spool body as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. formed as to incline towards the spool ends nearest to the flange member; it follows that in the pressing out of the circular depression 6 the teeth 5 are forced into the spool body at a slight angle and in such a manner as to greatly increase the resistance which the flan member will exert against any force ten ing to pull the flange member from the end of the spool body. WVhen both flange members have been placed upon the spool body andthe parts are assembled by pressing out the circular depressions the complete spool is ready for use. 2'

The completed spoolthus formed constitutesa very firm and rigid structure whichis capable of use for carrying heavy material, such as wire and the like, without danger of separation of the flange members from the spool body with consequent injury to the material. V

Inthe form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings the spool body comprises a cylindrical tube 10 which may be formed of heavy car dboard, fibreboard, or other suitable material having cylindrical end portions 11 of wood or equivalent material fitted therein, the wood cores 11 preferably fitting closely into the ends of the tube 10. The flange members 3 are formed in the same manner as the flange members 3 described in connection with Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, and are applied to the spool body after the manner previously described so that upon pressing out the circular depressions 6 The teeth 5 are preferably so,

. the-core 11 as to hold the flange members against separation from the spool body.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 5 or" the drawings the spool body is formed from a thin metal cylindrical tube 14 which may be provided with a rolled end portion to increase the strength of the tube. Cylindrical end portions or cores 16 of wood or other suitable material are inserted in the opposite ends of the cylindrical tube 14 in such a manner as to fit closely within the ends of the cylindrical tube 1 1, and the tube lt is provided with a pluralityof spaced openings 17 arranged circumferentially about the tube 1% and located adjacent to the rolled ends 15 of the cylindrical tube. The flange members 3 employed in connection with this form of the invention are constructed in the same manner as the flange members shown and described in connection with those forms of the invention previously described, and are appliedto the tube body 14 in a similar manner to that described in connection with the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, that is, by pressing out the circular depression to force the teeth 5 formed on the flange member through the openings 17 inthe metal tube and into the core 16. I a

In the form of the invent-ion shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, the flange members 3, instead of being attached to the spool body as above described, may be secured directly to the tube 14 by being positioned close to the bead 15, and the dished portion of the flange member pressed out to force the ends of the teeth 5 beneath the edge of the bead 15 so that the. flange members will be secured in place and held in position on the tube 1 1 by the interlocking of the teeth 5 with the bead 15 instead of by forcing the teeth through the openings 17 and into the core 16.

In either of the forms of the invention previously described I may make the flange members of smaller diameter than those shown in the drawings, and place a circular disk of cardboard,fibreboard, or other suitable material over the spool body and in position for its outer face to bev supported by the end flange member, while the disk in turn forms an end support for the material wound upon the spool.

While I have shown and described several forms which my invention may assume in practice, it is to be understood that various other forms and adaptations of the same may be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as set forth in the appended claims which are to be broadly construed in the light of my disclosure.

What I claim is I 1. The method of making a spool structure of the character described which comprises, forming an elongated body member provided adjacent its ends with permeable portions, forming flange members of which is provided with a central opening shaped to receive one end of said body member and provided with teeth extending inwardly towards said central opening, said metal flange members being slightly dished adjacent to the central opening, positioning the said flange members upon the body member adjacent to the ends of thebody member, and pressing out the dished portions of said flange members to force the teeth into the permeable portions of said body member.

2. The method of forming aspool structure of the character described which comprises, providing an elongated body member, forming flange members each having a central opening with a dished portion adjacent thereto, and a plurality of teeth carried by the flange members and extending inwardly towards the central openings, placing the flange members over the ends of said body member. and pressing out the dished portions of said flange members to force the said teeth into a portion of said body member.

3. In a spool structure, a body member, metal flange members each provided with a central opening'shaped to correspond substantially with the cross sectional form of the body member. adjacent to the ends thereof, and teeth formed integral with said flange members'and located about the central openings formed therein and extending inwardly from the flange members to penetrate the outer surface of said body member and hold the flange members against separation from said body member.

at. In a spool structure, a body member having a permeable portion located adjacent to one end thereof, a flange member provided with a central opening shaped to correspond substantially with the cross-sectional form of the body member adjacent to the end thereof, and inwardly projecting teeth formed upon the flange member about the central opening extending inwardly from the flange member and penetrating the permeable portion of said body member to hold said flange member against separation from said body member.

5. A, spool structure comprising a body member, metal flange members each of which is provided with a central opening shaped to receive the ends of said body member, and

integral teeth carried bysaid metal flange members and extending inwardly towards the of thin metal, each signature. GEORGE T. JONES. 

